ほぼ毎日
hobo mainichi
The English phrase "almost every day" is expressed in Japanese as ほぼ毎日 (hobo mainichi).
ほぼ毎日 is used to describe an action or event that occurs nearly every day of the week. Adding ほぼ to 毎日 (every day) softens the frequency, indicating that while the occurrence is very frequent, it is not strictly every single day.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of ほぼ (hobo), meaning "almost" or "nearly" and 毎日 (mainichi), meaning "every day".
Which one should you use?
Adding ほぼ (hobo) to 毎日 (mainichi) softens the frequency from a strict 'every single day' to 'nearly every day'.
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase can be placed at the beginning or in the middle of a sentence. It is often followed by a particle like は to emphasize the frequency.
How do you pronounce it?
hobo mainichi
Did you know?
- The word ほぼ (hobo) is related to the word for 'sole of the foot' or 'side', reflecting an ancient way of describing proximity as being 'side-by-side' with a target.
- In Japanese, if you say you do something 毎日 (mainichi), listeners might take it literally as a strict commitment, so adding ほぼ (hobo) is a socially important way to manage expectations and avoid being seen as imprecise or dishonest.
- The character 日 in 毎日 is a pictograph that originally evolved from a drawing of the sun.
Examples in context
- ヒゲはほぼ毎日剃るよ。I shave almost every day.This example shows the use of ほぼ毎日 in a sentence about shaving.Tatoeba #11706781 by small_snow, translation #1740678 by Amastan
- 父はほぼ毎日、仕事に行く。My father goes to work almost every day.This example demonstrates using ほぼ毎日 to describe a daily work routine.Tatoeba #8697733 by small_snow, translation #6912361 by CK
- ほぼ毎日、昼寝はしてるよ。I take a nap almost every day.This example shows how to use ほぼ毎日 when discussing a daily habit like napping.Tatoeba #10618114 by small_snow, translation #5177455 by AlanF_US
- 私はほぼ毎日公園で散歩します。I walk in the park almost every day.
- 彼はほとんど毎日早く起きます。He wakes up early almost every day.
- このゲームはほぼ毎日やるよ。I play this game almost every day.
- だいたい毎日友達とランチに行くよ。I go to lunch with my friends almost every day.
- 9 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Misaki and Kenta are talking about their exercise routines.
- 美咲 Misaki健太くんは、ほぼ毎日、ジムに行ってるの？Kenta-kun wa, hobo mainichi, jimu ni itteru no?Kenta, do you go to the gym almost every day?
- 健太 Kentaうん、ほぼ毎日、走ってるよ。Un, hobo mainichi, hashitteru yo.Yeah, I run almost every day.
- 美咲 Misakiすごいね！私も頑張らなきゃ。Sugoi ne! Watashi mo ganbaranakya.That's amazing! I need to work hard too.
- 健太 Kenta美咲さんも、一緒にどう？Misaki-san mo, issho ni dou?How about joining me, Misaki?
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
